Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

I suppose what tonight reinforces is this statement: when they agreed to Telstra being sold, the Nationals sold out the bush. They were sold a pup of some fund by the Liberal Party. All of a sudden now, it is gone. I will be voting, as I voted today, to support and look after the bush through the Communications Fund, but it was faulty to start with. Family First opposed the full sale of Telstra. Family First said at the time that the Nationals sold out the bush when they agreed to sell the rest of Telstra. There are no guarantees once you let it go like that, and tonight has proved it for sure. They have got themselves to blame for the mess they have ended up with. To be frank, they sold out the bush when they sold the rest of Telstra.

Telstra and telecommunications is not just a business; it is also an essential service. It made sense to keep some of it in the public hands. That would have provided the protection for those people who live out in the bush and in the regional areas, where there is no or little competition. In the city, I get people knocking on my door all the time offering competition. They are not out there with the farmers. The Nationals sold those people out when they sold the rest of Telstra. They have themselves to blame. I will not be changing my vote. I am very surprised that the Liberals have changed theirs—very surprised.